Checked 15 October 2026. Test facts and language rules are from HK-dir’s Norwegian and English candidate pages, read again on 15 October 2026, statsborgerloven on lovdata.no (read 15 October 2026) and UDI’s test-requirement page as captured in June 2026 (udi.no blocks automated reads). Test dates and prices are set by each municipality. The practice questions are ours, written from the bokmål lessons of samfunnskunnskap.no as saved on 12 October 2026; they are not official questions.
People search for the Norwegian citizenship test in English because they study in English. That is reasonable, and the official curriculum site has an English version. The test does not. This page states exactly which language each test is offered in, according to HK-dir, shows what you can and cannot do in English, and then gives you fifteen practice questions the way the test is: in Norwegian, three options, one correct, with an English translation and the reason under each.
Official for the first three: HK-dir, read 15 October 2026.
Norway citizenship test: quick facts
| Fact | What HK-dir or the law says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Name and who runs the information | Statsborgerprøven. HK-dir (the Directorate for Higher Education and Skills) is responsible for the official candidate pages; you take the test at a test centre (prøvested) and register through the portal for your municipality. | HK-dir, Les om prøven; Meld deg på |
| Who must pass it | Applicants aged 18 to 67 must pass statsborgerprøven and reach at least B1 in an oral Norwegian test, unless an exemption applies. | Statsborgerloven § 8 |
| The alternative | The social studies test (samfunnskunnskapsprøven) also counts for citizenship, but only if it was taken in Norwegian. | HK-dir, Les om prøven; UDI |
| Language | Norwegian only, bokmål or nynorsk, at level A2. The questions can be read aloud from audio files. | HK-dir, Les om prøven |
| Tasks | 36, each with three options and one correct answer. Only 32 count; four are new tasks being tried out. | HK-dir, Les om prøven |
| To pass | 24 correct answers. | HK-dir, Les om prøven |
| Time | At most one hour (60 minutes). | HK-dir, Les om prøven |
| Where and how | On the test centre’s computer; you cannot use your own. Valid physical ID with the ID number you registered with. | HK-dir, Dette skjer på prøvedagen |
| Dates | Set locally: you find them in the registration portal after choosing your county. There is no national date list on the candidate pages. | HK-dir, Meld deg på |
| Price | Your municipality decides; it can vary between 300 and 1,800 kroner. Registration is binding. | HK-dir, Meld deg på |
| Result | By e-mail and on Min side; if you pass, a certificate by post 2–4 weeks after the test. No appeal on the result itself. | HK-dir, Finn resultatet ditt; Muligheter til å klage |
| Curriculum | The texts on samfunnskunnskap.no, the same curriculum as the social studies test. | HK-dir, Les om prøven; Øv til prøven |
Checked on 15 October 2026 against HK-dir’s candidate pages for statsborgerprøven (Les om prøven, Meld deg på, Dette skjer på prøvedagen, Finn resultatet ditt, Muligheter til å klage, Be om tilrettelegging, Øv til prøven) and its English page, HK-dir’s page on samfunnskunnskapsprøven, statsborgerloven § 8 on lovdata.no and UDI’s page on test requirements (Wayback Machine capture of 10 June 2026).
Can you take the Norwegian citizenship test in English?
No. HK-dir’s English page for the citizenship test says: “The test is in Norwegian. You can choose whether to take the test in Nynorsk or Bokmål. The test is at language level A2.” The Norwegian page says the same: “Prøven er på norsk. Du kan velge om du vil ta prøven på nynorsk eller på bokmål” [official, read 15 October 2026]. The only choice of language is between the two written forms of Norwegian. If you prefer to listen, you can have the questions read aloud from audio files, which exist in both forms.
The confusion comes from the second test. Samfunnskunnskapsprøven, the social studies test, is offered in 23 languages and English is one of them. It covers the same curriculum and it is what UDI asks for with a permanent residence permit. For citizenship it counts only if it was taken in Norwegian. UDI’s wording: “You must have taken the final social studies test in Norwegian. If you took it in another language, you must retake it in Norwegian” [official: UDI, capture of 10 June 2026].
| Test | Languages it is offered in | In English? | Counts for citizenship? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statsborgerprøven (citizenship test) | Norwegian only: bokmål or nynorsk | No | Yes |
| Samfunnskunnskapsprøven taken in Norwegian | Norwegian is one of its 23 languages | No (taken in Norwegian) | Yes |
| Samfunnskunnskapsprøven taken in English | English is one of its 23 languages | Yes | No; it counts for permanent residence |
| Norskprøven, oral part | Norwegian; it is the language test | No | Yes, at B1 or higher, as the language requirement |
Where other pages get this wrong
There is no English version of the Norwegian citizenship test.
Commonly published instead: pages that offer “the Norwegian citizenship test in English” as if it were a version you can book.
HK-dir: “Statsborgerprøven er på norsk.” An English-language sitting exists only for samfunnskunnskapsprøven, and UDI does not accept that sitting for citizenship. English is for studying, not for the test.
Which of the two tests you need, and what to do if you already passed one in English, is worked through with a tool in statsborgerprøven vs samfunnskunnskapsprøven.
What you can do in English
| Step | In English? | What the source says |
|---|---|---|
| Read the curriculum | Yes | samfunnskunnskap.no has the lessons in many languages, English among them. HK-dir names the site as the curriculum. |
| Read HK-dir’s information about the test | Yes | prove.hkdir.no has an English section for the citizenship test: about the test, registration, the test day, results. |
| Try the example test | No | HK-dir’s example test for statsborgerprøven is in Norwegian, like the test. |
| Read the questions on the day | No | Norwegian at level A2, bokmål or nynorsk. |
| Hear the questions read aloud | No | Audio files are in bokmål and nynorsk. |
| Use a dictionary or translation app | No | No aids are allowed. A phone, smartwatch, dictionary or notes count as cheating. |
| Bring an interpreter | No | The candidate pages for statsborgerprøven name extra time, a separate room and an oral sitting, and tell candidates who are to take the test in sign language to apply to the test centre; they do not mention an interpreter. The interpreter option belongs to samfunnskunnskapsprøven. |
So the workable method is to learn in English and rehearse in Norwegian. Read a lesson in English until you understand it, then read the same lesson in bokmål and mark the words that carry the facts. A2 is described by HK-dir as a slightly lower level than the social studies test, and the 2026 regulations describe the questions as being of a more general and everyday kind [official]. The sentences are short. What stops candidates is seldom grammar; it is a noun they have only ever met in English.
| Norwegian | English | Where it appears in the questions below |
|---|---|---|
| oppholdstillatelse | residence permit | Question 1 |
| kildekritikk | source criticism | Question 3 |
| urbefolkning | indigenous people | Question 6 |
| henvisning / fastlege | referral / regular GP | Question 7 |
| svangerskapskontroll | antenatal check-up | Question 8 |
| grunnskole | primary and lower secondary school (years 1–10) | Question 9 |
| stipend / lån | grant / loan | Question 10 |
| fagforening / arbeidsgiver | trade union / employer | Question 11 |
| arbeidsavtale | employment contract | Question 12 |
| myndighetsalder | age of majority | Question 13 |
| barnevernet | the child welfare service | Question 14 |
| tvangsekteskap | forced marriage | Question 15 |
15 Norwegian citizenship test practice questions
These fifteen questions are ours. Each one rests on a sentence in a lesson of samfunnskunnskap.no, which we keep on file with the question, and each has three options as in the real test. None is an official question, none is from HK-dir’s example test, and none repeats our live practice quiz, the kit’s self-test or the ten questions in the pass-mark guide’s mini test. Try them in Norwegian first; the English line under each is there so you can check that you understood the question, which is half of the task.
The questions as a plain table, for readers on a page where the test above does not run:
| # | Spørsmål | A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hva må innbyggere fra EU/EØS-land gjøre når de skal jobbe i Norge? | Søke om oppholdstillatelse før de reiser | Registrere seg hos politiet | Bestå en norskprøve først |
| 2 | Hva ble pandemien som herjet i Norge på midten av 1300-tallet kalt? | Svartedauden | Tuberkulose | Napoleonskrigene |
| 3 | Hva betyr kildekritikk? | Å skrive av det andre har skrevet | Å dele meningene sine i sosiale medier | Å vurdere det man leser |
| 4 | Hva heter den lengste fjorden i Norge? | Mjøsa | Sognefjorden | Glomma |
| 5 | Hvorfor er klimaet i Norge mildere enn man skulle tro? | På grunn av Golfstrømmen | På grunn av midnattssola | På grunn av isbreene |
| 6 | Hvem er Norges urbefolkning? | Kvenene | Skogfinnene | Samene |
| 7 | Hva trenger du som hovedregel for å få time hos en legespesialist? | Frikort | Henvisning fra fastlegen | Resept fra apoteket |
| 8 | Hva koster svangerskapskontroller for gravide kvinner i Norge? | De er gratis | Kvinnen betaler full pris | Kvinnen betaler 25 prosent |
| 9 | Hvor mange år varer grunnskolen i Norge? | 7 år | 13 år | 10 år |
| 10 | Hvem gir stipend og lån til elever og studenter i Norge? | Skatteetaten | Lånekassen | Samordna opptak |
| 11 | Hva er fagforeningenes viktigste oppgave? | Å forhandle med arbeidsgiverne om lønn og andre rettigheter | Å kreve inn skatt fra arbeidstakerne | Å ansette nye arbeidstakere |
| 12 | Hva har alle som blir ansatt et sted, rett til? | Gratis bolig fra arbeidsgiveren | Høyere lønn hvert år | En skriftlig arbeidsavtale |
| 13 | Hva er myndighetsalderen i Norge? | 16 år | 18 år | 20 år |
| 14 | Hva er barnevernets viktigste oppgave? | Å beskytte barna, helst i samarbeid med familien | Å gi barn karakterer på skolen | Å betale ut barnetrygd |
| 15 | Hva er riktig om tvangsekteskap i Norge? | Det er tillatt hvis begge familiene er enige | Det er tillatt når begge er over 18 år | Det er forbudt å tvinge noen til å gifte seg |
Answers, in English, with the lesson behind each
| # | Question (Norwegian) | In English | Correct answer | Why, and the lesson it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hva må innbyggere fra EU/EØS-land gjøre når de skal jobbe i Norge? | What must citizens of EU/EEA countries do when they are going to work in Norway? | B. Registrere seg hos politiet (Register with the police) | EU/EEA citizens can work in Norway without applying for a residence permit, but they must register with the police, which is done digitally. Lesson: Regler for opphold. |
| 2 | Hva ble pandemien som herjet i Norge på midten av 1300-tallet kalt? | What was the pandemic that raged in Norway in the middle of the 1300s called? | A. Svartedauden (The Black Death) | The pandemic of the mid-1300s was called svartedauden; the lesson says a third of Norway’s population died of it. Lesson: Middelalder og unionstid. |
| 3 | Hva betyr kildekritikk? | What does kildekritikk (source criticism) mean? | C. Å vurdere det man leser (To assess what you read) | Kildekritikk means assessing what you read: who wrote it, with what aim, and whether the facts are correct and complete. Lesson: Kritisk tenkning og etisk bevissthet. |
| 4 | Hva heter den lengste fjorden i Norge? | What is the longest fjord in Norway called? | B. Sognefjorden (Sognefjorden) | Sognefjorden is the longest fjord, 204 kilometres. Mjøsa is the largest lake and Glomma the longest river, so all three options are “longest or largest” answers from the same lesson. Lesson: Fakta om Norge. |
| 5 | Hvorfor er klimaet i Norge mildere enn man skulle tro? | Why is the climate in Norway milder than one would expect? | A. På grunn av Golfstrømmen (Because of the Gulf Stream) | The Gulf Stream carries warmed water from the southern Atlantic up along the Norwegian coast, which keeps temperatures higher than the latitude suggests. Lesson: Fakta om Norge. |
| 6 | Hvem er Norges urbefolkning? | Who are Norway’s indigenous people? | C. Samene (The Sami) | The lesson “Samene” says the Sami are Norway’s indigenous people (urbefolkning). The Kvens and Forest Finns are national minorities. Lesson: Samene. |
| 7 | Hva trenger du som hovedregel for å få time hos en legespesialist? | What do you need, as a main rule, to get an appointment with a medical specialist? | B. Henvisning fra fastlegen (A referral from your GP) | As a main rule you need a referral (henvisning) from your regular GP (fastlege) to see a specialist. Lesson: Helsetjenester. |
| 8 | Hva koster svangerskapskontroller for gravide kvinner i Norge? | What do antenatal check-ups cost for pregnant women in Norway? | A. De er gratis (They are free) | Pregnant women have a right to free check-ups, carried out by the health station (helsestasjonen) or the GP. They are voluntary. Lesson: Familieplanlegging, svangerskap og oppfølging av barn. |
| 9 | Hvor mange år varer grunnskolen i Norge? | How many years does grunnskolen (primary and lower secondary school) last in Norway? | C. 10 år (10 years) | Grunnskolen is ten years. Seven is the length of barnetrinnet (years 1–7), and 13 is the total years of education every child has a right to, so both wrong options are real figures from the same lesson. Lesson: Grunnskole. |
| 10 | Hvem gir stipend og lån til elever og studenter i Norge? | Who gives grants and loans to pupils and students in Norway? | B. Lånekassen (Lånekassen (the State Educational Loan Fund)) | Lånekassen gives grants (stipend) and loans. Samordna opptak handles admission to universities and university colleges; Skatteetaten works out tax. Lesson: Videregående skole og høyere utdanning. |
| 11 | Hva er fagforeningenes viktigste oppgave? | What is the most important task of the trade unions? | A. Å forhandle med arbeidsgiverne om lønn og andre rettigheter (To negotiate with employers about pay and other rights) | The unions’ most important task is to negotiate with employers about pay and other rights, such as working hours, holiday and training. Lesson: Fagforeninger. |
| 12 | Hva har alle som blir ansatt et sted, rett til? | What does everyone who is employed somewhere have a right to? | C. En skriftlig arbeidsavtale (A written employment contract) | Everyone who is employed has a right to a written employment contract (arbeidsavtale), signed by both employee and employer. Lesson: Lønn og skatt. |
| 13 | Hva er myndighetsalderen i Norge? | What is the age of majority in Norway? | B. 18 år (18 years) | The age of majority (myndighetsalderen) is 18: from then you can enter legal agreements and control your own money, and your parents are no longer responsible. Lesson: Barn og unges rettigheter. |
| 14 | Hva er barnevernets viktigste oppgave? | What is the most important task of barnevernet (the child welfare service)? | A. Å beskytte barna, helst i samarbeid med familien (To protect children, preferably in co-operation with the family) | Barnevernet’s most important task is to protect children, preferably together with the family. Marks are given by the school, and child benefit (barnetrygd) is a welfare benefit, not a task of barnevernet. Lesson: Barnevernet. |
| 15 | Hva er riktig om tvangsekteskap i Norge? | What is correct about forced marriage in Norway? | C. Det er forbudt å tvinge noen til å gifte seg (It is forbidden to force anyone to marry) | Forcing anyone to marry is forbidden; the lesson gives a penalty of up to six years in prison and says a forced marriage is invalid under Norwegian law. Lesson: Tvangsekteskap. |
A note on how to read your score. Fifteen questions of ours are not a mock of thirty-six of HK-dir’s, and the pass line the tool shows, 75 per cent, is the real test’s line (24 of 32) applied to a short set for comparison only. The useful output is the list of topics you missed. Take that list to the full topic list and tracker, where every lesson is named.
The format on the day
| Item | What HK-dir says |
|---|---|
| Where | At a test centre, on the centre’s computer. You cannot use your own. |
| Tasks | 36 multiple-choice tasks with three options and one correct answer; 32 count and 4 are trial tasks you cannot identify. |
| To pass | 24 correct answers. |
| Time | At most 60 minutes. |
| Language | Norwegian at level A2; you choose bokmål or nynorsk; audio files in both. |
| ID | Valid physical ID with the same ID number you registered with. |
| Fee | Set by the municipality; it can vary between 300 and 1,800 kroner. |
| Result | By e-mail and on Min side; the certificate by post two to four weeks after the test if you pass. |
Bokmål or nynorsk is a real choice, and it is worth making before the day. The lessons exist in both. If you learned Norwegian in nynorsk, the words in the test will look the way you learned them only if you choose nynorsk. If you studied from the bokmål lessons, as the questions on this page are written, choose bokmål. Which form is “easier” is not something HK-dir says anything about.
If your Norwegian reading is the obstacle
- Ask the test centre about adaptation as soon as you register, and at the latest three days after: extra time or a separate room.
- If you cannot read well enough to take a written test, you can ask to take statsborgerprøven orally. HK-dir says no doctor’s statement is needed for that.
- Use the audio files. Hearing a question at A2 is often easier than reading it.
- Statsborgerprøven is not the language requirement. For citizenship you also need B1 in the oral part of norskprøven, so spoken Norwegian has to be worked on in any case.
From HK-dir’s adaptation page for statsborgerprøven and statsborgerloven § 8.
That last point is the reason “in English” matters less than it seems. An applicant between 18 and 67 has to reach B1 in spoken Norwegian anyway (statsborgerloven § 8), and a person who can hold a B1 conversation can usually read a three-option question written at A2. The language level, the exemptions and the residence rules are in Norwegian citizenship requirements: language level and test.
Practise it, don't just read it
Fifteen questions down; the exam page has twelve more on a topic this page leaves out.
One practice quiz is live on the exam page: 12 questions in Norwegian on Demokratiet i Norge, three options each, with the reason for every answer in English. None of its questions is repeated in this article.
The whole curriculum on seven pages
You can study in English and still meet every fact in Norwegian first.
The Statsborgerprøven Revision Kit is a seven-page PDF in English, built on the same lessons of samfunnskunnskap.no (57 by our count), with the Norwegian word you will meet in the test printed beside each fact, a Norwegian–English word list, a list of traps and a 20-question self-test. Page 1 is free to read in full. It is a revision aid, not an official document, and it does not replace the lessons.
Every guide in this series
The other twelve guides on the Norwegian citizenship test
- Statsborgerprøven vs samfunnskunnskapsprøven: which of the two tests you take, with a chooser.
- Norwegian citizenship requirements 2026: the language level, the test and a § 7 checklist.
- Pass mark, pass rate and why people fail: the official pass rates since 2022 and a 10-question mini test.
- Statsborgerprøven pensum: every topic and lesson of the curriculum, with a tracker.
- Last-week revision plan: seven days of reading and ten more practice questions.
- Statsborgerprøven 2026: alt du må vite: the full guide in Norwegian, with exemptions and sign-up step by step.
- Samfunnskunnskapsprøven: the social studies test, in Norwegian.
- Statsborgerprøven test: HK-dir’s sample test and how to practise with it, in Norwegian.
- Norskprøve for statsborgerskap: the oral level that counts and the tests UDI accepts.
- Norskprøve B1 muntlig: example oral tasks with A2 and B1 model answers.
- Norskprøve skriftlig A2–B1: sample texts with marking.
- Norskprøve B2: who needs B2 and how it is assessed.
The first five and the Norwegian-language three are about the knowledge test; the last four are about the separate Norwegian language test.
What we could not find
- An English version of statsborgerprøven. HK-dir’s pages offer bokmål or nynorsk only.
- Past papers or a question bank. HK-dir publishes one sample test and says it is not the test you will get.
- A national list of test dates or a single price. Both are set locally, and HK-dir sends candidates to the registration portal for them.
- Any mention of an interpreter on the candidate pages for statsborgerprøven. They name extra time, a separate room and an oral sitting.
- An official breakdown of which topics candidates get wrong most often.
- Which four of the 36 tasks are trial tasks. HK-dir says only that four do not count.
Checked on 15 October 2026 on HK-dir’s candidate pages and UDI’s test-requirement page (June 2026 capture).
Frequently asked questions
Can I take the Norwegian citizenship test in English?
No. HK-dir says statsborgerprøven is in Norwegian, in bokmål or nynorsk, at level A2. There is no English version.
Which Norwegian test can be taken in English?
Samfunnskunnskapsprøven, the social studies test, is offered in 23 languages including English. It counts for a permanent residence permit, and for citizenship only if taken in Norwegian.
I passed the social studies test in English. Do I need another test for citizenship?
Yes. UDI says a social studies test taken in another language must be retaken in Norwegian. You can take statsborgerprøven instead.
Can I study for the test in English?
Yes. The curriculum site samfunnskunnskap.no has the lessons in English and other languages, and HK-dir has an English information section. Learn the Norwegian key words too.
How hard is the Norwegian in the test?
HK-dir gives the level as A2 and says it is slightly lower than in the social studies test.
Can I use a dictionary or my phone to translate?
No. Aids are not allowed, and HK-dir counts using them as cheating, which means no certificate and a one-year wait before a new attempt.
Can the questions be read aloud to me?
Yes, from audio files in bokmål and nynorsk. They are not read in English.
Are these 15 questions from the real test?
No. They are our own, written from the official lesson text. The real tests are not published; HK-dir releases one example test.
How many questions are in the real test?
Thirty-six, of which 32 count. You need 24 correct among those 32.
Do the real questions have four options?
No. HK-dir says each task has three options and one correct answer.
Should I choose bokmål or nynorsk?
Choose the form you learned Norwegian in and read the lessons in. HK-dir lets you choose and does not say one is easier.
How long is the Norway citizenship test?
At most one hour (60 minutes), according to HK-dir.
What does the Norway citizenship test cost?
Your municipality sets the price. HK-dir says it can vary between 300 and 1,800 kroner, and the registration portal shows the right price. Registration is binding.
When are the test dates?
Each test centre sets its own dates. HK-dir tells candidates to choose their county in the registration portal to see which centres have a date, or to contact the centre.
Can I appeal my result?
Not the result itself. HK-dir says you can complain about a formal error in how the test was run, to the test centre, within three weeks of the test.
More in this series
- Statsborgerprøven or samfunnskunnskapsprøven: which one you take
- Norwegian citizenship requirements 2026: language level and test (checklist)
- Statsborgerprøven pass mark, pass rate and why people fail (10-question mini test)
- Statsborgerprøven pensum: all 13 topics and 57 lessons, with a tracker
- Norskprøve B1 muntlig: example tasks, A2 and B1 model answers, practice timer
- Norskprøve skriftlig A2–B1: sample texts with marking, word counter and checklist
- Norskprøve B2: who needs it (studies, authorisation, citizenship) and how it is assessed
- Statsborgerprøven øve: a seven-day revision plan with 10 new practice questions
- Norskprøve for statsborgerskap: the oral level that counts and the tests UDI accepts
- Statsborgerprøven 2026: format, hvem må ta den, påmelding og pensum (på norsk)
- Samfunnskunnskapsprøven: hvem må ta den, språk, pris og leseplan (på norsk)
- Statsborgerprøven test: HK-dirs eksempelprøve, 4 spørsmål med fasit og forklaring, og en øvingsmetode (på norsk)
Sources
- official — HK-dir — Statsborgerprøve: Les om prøven (length, language, 36 tasks, 24 to pass), read 13 Oct 2026
- official — HK-dir — Norwegian citizenship test: Read about the test (English page), read 13 Oct 2026
- official — HK-dir — Samfunnskunnskapsprøve: Les om prøven (23 languages, 38 tasks, 26 to pass), read 13 Oct 2026
- official — HK-dir — Statsborgerprøve: Be om tilrettelegging (extra time, oral sitting)
- official — HK-dir — Statsborgerprøve: Dette skjer på prøvedagen (ID, the test centre’s computer)
- official — HK-dir — Statsborgerprøve: Meld deg på (dates, fee range, binding registration)
- official — HK-dir — Statsborgerprøve: Finn resultatet ditt (result, certificate, Vitnemålsportalen)
- official — HK-dir — Statsborgerprøve: Øv til prøven (the curriculum and the example test)
- official — HK-dir — Reglement for gjennomføring av prøver i norsk og samfunnskunnskap 2026, chapter 3 (information about the tests)
- official — UDI — Test requirements for Norwegian citizenship (Wayback Machine capture of 10 June 2026; live udi.no blocks automated reads)
- official — Lov om norsk statsborgerskap (statsborgerloven), §§ 7, 8 and 10–16 a (lovdata.no, read 13 Oct 2026)
- official — samfunnskunnskap.no — HK-dir’s curriculum resource (bokmål lessons, read 12 Oct 2026)
- official — samfunnskunnskap.no — the same lessons in English
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
